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v@auch aug ,tttrnt @High TIMOTHY B.- WHITE, wor NEW BRIGHTON,PENNSYLVANIA.

Letters Patent No. 66,438, dated July 2, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN IRON BRIDGES..

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONGERN:4

Be it known that LTIMOTHY B. WHITE, of the borough of New Brighton,county of Beaver, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new anduseful Improvements in the Construction of a Wrought-Iron or SteelBridge, of which-the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which forms part ofthis specification, and in,which- 4 Figure 1 represents an elevation ofa portion of a span of one side of a bridge embracing my improvement.

Figure 2, a view of-the top ofthe same.

Figure 3, a transverse section atthe red line, fig. 1.

Figure 4, an enlarged transverse section of the tubes A A- A, gs. 1, 2,3.

Figure 5, an enlarged perspective view of one ofthe tubes A A A, and

Figure 6 an enlarged perspective view of the top and bottom of one oftheangle-blocks B. B, igs. 1 and 2.

In the construction of wrought-iron or steel bridges it is of primaryimportance to combine lightness with strength, which I claim toaccomplish fully in the following manner: First, in constructing thetubes A A A I have the iron or steel rolled in bars of suitable lengths,in shape to correspond with tha-t shown by the drawing at a b b c, iig.4. These bars are strengthened and punched near the edge at suitabledistances apa-rt, and firmly fastened together with rivets, breakingjoints by splicing, as shown at d d, hg. 5,. These splices are made byriveting a plate of iron of suitable thickness and of a width to fitinside of the tube A, the rivets passing through' the tube, iron, andplate; care being taken to have but one of the iron or steel bars, a bc, iig. 4, spliced at the same point, the object being to break jointsand make the tubes A A A continuous. The projections or drops e c eofthe bars a Zz b are for therpurpose of keeping the water from enteringthejointsfjff. Second, after the tubes are prepared as set forth, two ormore of them, according to the strength of bridge required, are rmlysecured, at suitable distances from each other, by plates of iron C C C,figs. 1 and 2, by rivets, as fully shown; two or more of these tubes sosecured forming one cord, fourof which cords I use in the constructionof a'bridge, two at thc top and two at the bottom, as shown. Third, thebraces E E and counter-braces F F and Vpost I, iig. 1, are sectionsprepared in the same form and manner as one of the tubes A A A, made ofsuitable lengths to fit upright and diagonally across the panels, andmay be inade of-iron o1' steel cfa different thickness than that formingthe tubes A A A, as seems to be necessary for the required strength,each end of thebrace or counter-brace entering over the projection or'flange h L of the angle-block B, iig. 6, firmly, securing them to theirplace, and preventing the water from entering the joints at z'zz,iig. 1. The panels are tightened up in the usual manner by'tighteningthe nuts on the endsrof the rods G Cr, Iig. 1. The braces andcounter-braces at' their crossings are ail firmly secured together bybolts or otherwise at g g, iig. 1. Fourth, the angle-brlocks B B haveflanges hh h, fig. 6, (top view,) cast on their faces, extending say oneinch or more'at right angles thereto, and made in size and shape to fitthe openings'in the braces EE and counter-braoesF F, which openings arethe saine as those shown at A A A, fig. 4'. These angle-blocks also haveprojections n n, fig. 6, (bottom view,) cast on their bottom face, of asize to fit between the tubes A A A to prevent slipping, and are -firmlyheld in their places by riveting the plates H H H H, g. 1, to the tubesA A. Two or more holes m m, fig. 6, are cast or dri-lied in theangle-blocks to allow the rods G G, iig. 1, to pass through, whichprodsValso pass through the tubes A A and iron plates D D, gs. 1 and 2,secured at their ends with nuts O O. The two sides of the bridge thusconstructed may be secured at a suitable distance apart for the requiredwidth by two pieces of angle-iron riveted together, as shown at K K,figs. 2 ahd 8, the ends riveted to the tubes A A or in any othersuitable manner, and braced laterally in the usual' manner, as shown atL L, fig. 2.

Having thus fully described the construction of my improved' bridge,what I claim as new, and desire tose:1`1re by Letters Patent, is-

A tubular iron beam, consisting ofthe upper plate a with the externalflange e, the Side plates b, provided at their lower edges with similarflanges e, and the lower plate c, all constructed land united asdescribed.

TIMOTHY B WHITE.

Witnesses:

CEAS. M. MEImIoK W. S. MonLAN, 1%. E. HooPs.

